Writing about writing about music.

Henry writes about music and music books for ND, The Bluegrass Situation, Country Standard Time, Publishers Weekly, and more.

The Man in Black Comes Around Again

The release a few weeks ago of Johnny Cash: Forever Words reminded us just how strongly Cash’s lyrics endure and how his presence continues to tower in roots music. This new album gives us a chance to imagine the Man in Black striding onto the stage once again, guitar slung behind his back, and watching as a variety of artists put his unpublished and unrecorded poetry and letters to music. The album gives Cash a voice long after his physical presence has left us. All of this is fitting, for long after the tales of violence, drug abuse, and depression fade into the distance, Cash’s words and his songs tell his story the best, and music writer John M. Alexander recognizes this. Alexander’s new book, The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash (Arkansas), tells Cash’s story in roughly chronological order by examining all the songs he wrote and recorded.

Reflecting on “Songs That Make a Difference,” which Cash wrote for the Highwayman album, Alexander discovers what for many Cash fans has long been self-evident, but which provides the direction for his book: “This is precisely what Johnny Cash was all about: writing and recording songs that made people think, feel, and react, with joy, sorrow, anger, or with a newfound understanding of what life, love, and the human condition are all about. His songs could be brutally honest and revealing or touchingly tender in their execution, but the one common trait they all possess is that they mattered greatly to Cash, and ultimately to the listener. The goal of Cash and these songs is to enrage, enrapture, enlighten, and entertain us as no one has done before.”

Using titles from Cash’s songs, or phrases associated with Cash, as chapter titles, Alexander groups various stages of Cash’s life into groups of songs. Thus, “Five Feet High and Rising” is devoted to an exploration of “autobiographical, geographical, and societal songs”; “Ring of Fire” covers “songs for June”; “Heroes” focuses on “Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, and other musical influences”; and, “I’ve Been Everywhere” follows “travelin’ Cash,” for example.

In the chapter on his relationship with June Carter, Alexander repeats the oft-told story—which Cash told in his autobiography—of how Johnny and June met backstage at the Grand Ole Opry. He’d already fallen for her beauty and her voice, but he was married to Vivian. When they met backstage that night at the Opry, though, Cash told Carter: “You and I are going to get married someday.” A string of songs follows, including “I Still Miss Someone” and “Ring of Fire,” among others, that chronicle and reveal aspects of their relationship in song. According to Alexander, “a strong case can… be made that Cash’s heartbreaking ‘I Still Miss Someone’ was inspired by his love for June. After all, the lyric clearly states, ‘I never got over those blue eyes, I see them everywhere.’ June had blue eyes, while Vivian’s were brown. There’s an ache and a longing in the song that mirrors Cash’s conflicting emotions volleying between his feelings for Vivian and his growing burning passion for June.” “Ring of Fire” similarly wrings out the couple’s smoldering passion.

One of the best chapters is on the songs that Cash recorded that were written by others, such as Kris Kristofferson, John Prine, Marty Stuart, Rodney Crowell, and Guy Clark. These stories illustrate Cash’s generous way with fellow artists, as well as his deep appreciation for musical collaboration. Cash cuts Crowell’s “Song for the Life” and “turns in a haunting performance of the poetic lyrics” about a man looking back at his youth. Cash records Clark’s “The Last Gunfighter Ballad,” among others, but he famously recorded “Desperadoes Waiting for a Train” for the Highwayman album. Alexander carefully points out the differences in Cash’s version of a song and the original. For example, Cash recorded Prine’s “Paradise” on The Adventures of Johnny Cash; Cash alters the names of location of the abandoned old prison in the song—from “Adrie’s Hill” to “Adrian’s Hill”—and sings “coal companies” rather than “coal company” to indicate that more than one company assaulted the land. According to Alexander, “little flourishes like that only serve to make this a very good performance of a great song.” While this might be so, it would have been nice if Alexander had illustrated in a fuller way why such little changes makes such a great performance.

To be sure, The Man in Song is a fan’s notes. He reveals his hagiographic attitude, bordering on the fawning, toward Cash very early in the book: “To this day I say that the three greatest milestones in my life are the day I married my wife, the birth of my three children, and the first time I met Johnny Cash… in no particular order. People do get married and have kids, but not everyone gets to spend a day with Johnny Cash.”

Fans of Cash will find very little new material here, and the book comes across as very superficial. To be fair, though, Alexander scurries over all Cash’s songs and records, and that covers a large territory. Listeners new to Cash will find this a nice introduction to the man and his music and Alexander’s book will send them in search of the music, which, in the end, may be accomplishment enough.

May 4, 2018 - 8:20 am

Congrats on taking Cleveland to the wire Jim. It speaks well to the future of Pacers.

Cleveland has always had Toronto's number and it doesn't look too good to get run off your home court like the Cavs did to them last night.

I though Philly had their act together - Simmons is one impressive player - but Boston is putting it to them without Irving which is impressive.

I'm just hoping it will be anyone but Golden State.

My Knicks can't even hire a coach. They make their decision based on Fizdale's relationship to Lebron James and he is never coming to New York. I would have been happy with Stackhouse, Budenholzer, Mark Jackson or even Blatt. But I'm a Knick fan and my plight is to suffer.

May 4, 2018 - 9:34 am

The funny thing about that is until the Pacers got into the NBA, I was a Knicks fan, they were my team in the NBA...I used to go to a lot of the Pacers ABA games as a kid and they won 3 ABA championships, but I really liked the Knicks...Walt Frazier was my guy, great guard, and cool customer...and they won a couple of NBA championships back in my high school and college years...and then there was the period we've talked about often when the Pacers and Knicks battled so intensely that by the time one of them survived the Eastern Conference, they were not able to finish in the Finals...but you are correct that the Knicks should be a great market to attract players, and in that market, they should never be bad for a long period of time like they have been...

While I like Fiz personally, he seems like a good guy, and he has worked with Pops, I'd have leaned towards Budenholzer, who is a proven talent devloper, or Jackson, who played there and understands that market better than most and did well with the Warriors...Stackhouse is an interesting guy too, he's been willing to go to the D league to show he's serious, and he's had success, and the NBA is going to look at the D league coaches after Quin Snyder's success in Utah...Blatt was in over his head in Cleveland because Lebron is the best player and de facto GM too...that's a dynamic you don't get overseas...the coach is in charge there...but I think he can coach and it would be different with young players...I think LeBron does love NYC and would love to be there, but like you, I don't see a guy with all the miles he has on him going anywhere that they aren't ready to win, and with them living in LA, it seems too easy for him to go there...and they've even said Porzingus may be out next season too with the knee, so I can't imagine LeBron would go there. I hope you don't suffer much longer but it's going to be a year or two more I'd say...where they are at they probably have to try a tanking strategy...I hope for your sake it doesn't take as long as it did Philly...they've been tanking for 2 presidential administrations...and they are good right now...as good as Simmons is, Embiid will have to stay healthy...but they have a nice team, who has been outplayed and defnitiely outcoached by the Celtics thus far...and yes, Toronto looks ready to wave the white flag...not sure DeRozan and Lowry are quite at the level of other "superstars"...they seem to struggle when it matters most...Cleveland seems to own them mentally...

I will say this Rudyjeep...I was despondent over the Pacers last year...they played with so little enthusiasm, and PG just looked like he was walking through games...I wasn't all that upset that he left, because there clearly was an issue with him last year...didn't like the way he left, and like most, wasn't sure Pritchard had made the right deal when he got Oladipo/Sabonis...but it was a breath of fresh air...we've had more talented teams, but we've never had one more fun to watch, or one that played any harder or got along any better than them...I was really proud of them...

We took my inlaws, age 89 and 90 to their first Pacer game this year...they started following them closer because they love IU and Oladipo had played there...they loved it...my mother in law just loves College Basketball, but she fell in love with the Pacers this year...it really gave them something to look forward to...they watched the last 15-20 season games and all the playoff games wire to wire...it's been a neat thing to see...MIL doesn't like LeBron very well right now, but they are looking forward to next season big time, and at their age, that's a big deal...

Good hearing from you Rudyjeep...I hope everything else is good for you...had some pizza last night, and had my Brother Bru-Bru's out...

May 4, 2018 - 3:19 pm

The Knicks stated aim in hiring this coach was someone who communicates well with his players. Everyone loved Fizdale as an assistant coach but no one on Memphis was crying when he got canned as head coach. The Knicks have a history of hiring people for the wrong positions. Only they can hire the all time championship coach to be the General Manager where he failed spectacularly. I don't know how you pass up on Budenholzer if you can get him. Everyone seems to be high on Stackhouse as well.

Lebron likes to control everything - the team and the narrative - and he can't do that in NYC. That's why he won't go there (that and as you noted the team has a long way to go). The tabloids would be brutal. Example - after Stanton hit two home runs on Opening Day the Daily News is asking if anyone can stop them. After he K's 5 times in a game they are questioning if he will hit again. Lebron couldn't take that type of examination and doesn't want to do it. He is the greatest player on the planet but he is also the biggest drama queen outside of Meryl Streep. Of course the Daily News should have used MY headline when Stanton got the platinum sombrero- GianKarlo!

I was dead wrong. You really did well in the PG trade. No one knows if he will resign with OKC and they didn't get any farther than you did in the playoffs. And God Bless you inlaws. I hope I can find new passions at that age too! Tu Salud to them and you.

May 7, 2018 - 7:46 am

Good point on LeBron...the New York media is brutal, and they would go after him...he's an easy target...he clearly meddles in the day to day operations of the team and that would be open season in New York...Fiz definitely got caught in the "crossways with the best player" thing with Marc Gasol...I'd agree that he doesn't have much real history to evaluate also, and that it's easier to be an assistant coach because you normally get to be the nice guy who translates the head coach's harsh criticism, and sometimes the assistant doesn't make a good head coach...When Frank Vogel took over, the Pacers had been through 3 and 1/2 years of Jim O'Brien telling all of them how bad they were, and Vogel's softer touch worked wonders with them because they had some sensitive types on the team, especially Roy Hibbert and PG...but it came back to bite him when the Pacers became a contender...suddenly Hibbert wants offensive touches, Lance disrespects Hibbert's game so much he won't pass it to him...they spent all those years under the radar complaining about how they didn't get respect, and then they start 17-3 and jump out to a big lead for the 1st seed, and suddenly the egos all surfaced...they couldn't even handle one full season when the spotlight got bright

I liked Budenholzer the best, Stackhouse or Jackson too...We will see if Fiz is up to it or not...he will have a season or so...

I am guessing PG leaves OKC, but Westbrook is a perfect playing partner for him (though they have to solve the Carmelo conundrum somehow)...PG is one of those guys that wants to be loved, and Russ will be the guy who gets the criticism there...he came to Indy for 3 or 4 days last year in the off season, did a couple of charity things, told everyone who much he loved Indy and was staying put, and two days after he left his agent says he's leaving Indy after 2017-2018...he left Prtichard holding the bag...but he did us a favor...PG is a great player, and probably a pretty good guy all things considered, but he doesn't have the psychological makeup of a #1 guy...not saying he won't win a championship, but he's Robin and not Batman mentally...ability wise, he's gifted...